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The
L Word
has been criticized for featuring a cast that overall is mostly
white, and Beals's character certainly does not
eliminate this concern. But by exploring some of the issues biracial
women face, as well as the intersection between race and sexuality,
The L Word broaches topics that are still largely avoided
on television.
Even
on the rare occasion when we see TV characters who identify as biracial
or multiracial, they almost never talk about it, nor do the show's
writers explicitly explore the impact of the characters' mixed racial
heritage on their lives.
Besides
simply wanting to bring more authenticity to the series, perhaps
The L Word writers are more willing to tackle the "taboo"
subject of biracialism because they figure a show about lesbians
is already so risque that attacking the sacred cow of racial purity
won't have much, if any, negative impact. It also doesn't hurt that
some of the show's writers and directors are women of color.
Beals,
however, is most enthusiastic about the potential
for this role to help break down popular misconceptions
about lesbians of all races. "What's
so wonderful about [the L Word] is that it will undoubtedly
destroy certain stereotypes that people have of the gay community,"
she told the Vancouver Province in June.
"It's
incredibly exciting to me that some young woman, who's living in
the middle of nowhere and having no access to this kind of community,
will turn on the show and be able to relate to the characters and
realize that she does have a place in the world--that there are
other people like her and her sexual orientation doesn't mean that
she should feel as if she is less than. That's a huge reason that
I took [the role]."
Bette's
sexuality does occasionally become an explicit focus of attention
in her life, such as when she unexpectedly finds herself identified
as "the lesbian museum director" by an influential art
patron, or when her father indicates an unwillingness to fully accept
Bette's relationship with Tina. But Bette most often challenges
stereotypes just by being a realistic, sympathetic character who
happens to be a lesbian.
As
an amateur photographer--a "brilliant" one according
to The Anniversary Party writer, director and co-star Jennifer
Jason Leigh, who had Beals take all the photos that were featured
in that film--Beals is very concerned with imagery and representation.
With her role on The L Word, she hopes to give the gay
community the images of themselves that have been so sorely lacking.
"They
talk about the fact that history is written by the victors,"
she told The Windy City Times last summer, "but if
you can make yourself victorious by writing your own history and
supplying your own images, then you've done yourself and the world
a great service."
Although The L Word is getting the most attention for giving
lesbians (and to a lesser extent, bisexual women) long-overdue images
of themselves, the show's potential to do the same for biracial
women--and specifically, biracial lesbians--is also an important
contribution to improving the quality and authenticity of television.
While The L Word still has room to develop a more racially
diverse cast, its efforts to challenge stereotypes of sexuality
and race with characters like Bette nonetheless represent a significant
step forward for TV.
And
for Beals, who is about to show the world just how far she's come
as an actress since her Flashdance days.
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